Mountain Downgrade With a Standing Passenger
You are driving a 45-foot coach with 47 passengers down a 6% mountain grade that runs for four miles. Light rain is falling, the posted speed is 55 mph, and a yellow sign ahead warns of a 30-mph curve at the bottom. You are following a flatbed truck loaded with plywood at about four seconds’ gap. In your mirrors, a pickup is tailgating less than one second behind. A passenger has left her seat and is standing in the aisle, holding the seat backs, to reach the restroom. The bus has air brakes and a retarder. Your schedule allows you to arrive 20 minutes early, but the driver behind is flashing headlights. The truck ahead begins braking earlier than you expected.
1. What is your speed and braking plan before the curve, and why?
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Slow down before the grade and before the curve, not after entering it. Wet pavement reduces traction, and a 6% grade adds speed quickly. Select a lower gear and use the retarder to control speed, then use steady, firm brake applications rather than riding the brakes continuously. Aim to be well below the posted 55 mph before the descent and near or below the 30-mph curve advisory by the bottom. The four-second gap is too small for a heavy coach on wet pavement, so increase it before the grade. The pickup tailgating is a reason to avoid sudden braking, not a reason to speed up. If you smell hot brakes, feel fade, or lose retarder effect, pull over at the first safe place.
2. How do you handle the standing passenger and the tailgater at the same time?
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Address the standing passenger first because an unexpected brake application could injure her. Use the PA immediately and firmly: ask her to sit down now and remain seated until the bus is stopped. Do not brake hard while she is standing unless a collision is imminent. If she does not comply, look for a safe pullout and stop to secure her, but do not stop on a blind curve. For the tailgater, increase your following distance ahead so you can brake gradually, signal early, and avoid sudden moves. If the pickup tries to pass, let it go. Do not speed up to create space behind you, and do not tap the brakes to warn or punish the driver. Keep the coach stable and predictable.
3. The truck ahead brakes hard at the curve. What do you do?
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Apply the brakes progressively and keep the coach straight. Use the retarder and engine braking to help, but do not rely on them alone. Do not swerve into the oncoming lane; a head-on crash is worse than a rear-end impact, and the wet road makes a swerve unpredictable. Maintain control, reduce speed as much as traction allows, and prepare to stop behind the truck if it clears. The tailgater may hit you from behind, but you cannot control that driver; you can control your own following distance and braking smoothness. After the immediate hazard passes, check passengers, pull over at a safe place if anyone is hurt or the bus feels abnormal, and report the incident.